BenQ FP231W review

The FP231W isn't the first desktop screen we've seen of this size, but it does manage to shave nearly £300 off the price of HP's L2335. Running at the same 1,920 x 1,200 resolution as the HP, you can't actually see the whole screen at once when it's sat straight in front of you. For such a large panel though, the footprint is a minimal 535 x 248mm, meaning it will fit surprisingly easily into even cramped environments. There's 13cm of height adjustment, generous tilt and swivel movements but, unlike HP's offering, no ability to rotate into portrait mode.

Running the panel over the D-SUB input resulted in an acceptably crisp Desktop, if a touch lacking in brightness. There wasn't the depth of colour seen on our A-Listed 17in Iiyama ProLite E431S TFT, but it's only noticeable by comparison. Our tests over both analog and digital inputs revealed an excellent colour response at both high and low extremities, with a well-balanced performance across the entire range. Colour handling proved effective too, with no signs of banding on either monochrome or colour ramps, and there was only the slightest hint of pixel jitter over the analog input.

Adjustments are made via buttons located on the left-hand side, which keeps the 18mm bezel looking sleek. The simple menu system offers access to brightness, contrast and a range of four colour temperatures, including sRGB and a user preset across the RGB axis. You'll also find options for picture-in-picture, taking advantage of the DVI-D, composite and S-Video inputs. There's also a handy three-port USB hub.

Two benefits of having this much desktop space are being able to keep multiple applications open or working on large spreadsheets, although it does become cumbersome to work with more than a couple of windows. However, anyone doing image editing or music and video production will find it a revelation.

If you're running a media-centred system, the FP231W may look a tempting front-end. But as well as the slight lack of brightness, the familiar culprits of relatively poor viewing angles and distracting motion lag dent the screen's appeal for movie buffs and gamers alike. Even so, anyone looking for a large area of continuous Desktop space will find the FP231W a compelling option.

Author: Ross Burridge